Ocean Avenue Residences

Emeryville, California

A pair of compact infill homes were designed to replace a larger early 20th century home that had been recently destroyed by fire. The prior building straddled two legal but substandard lots in a transitional neighborhood in northwest Oakland. The owner/contractor wanted to maximize the building footprint while creating sustainable and very livable homes. Each home has a contiguous living / kitchen / dining area on the ground floor which is divided by a double-height stair core containing a half bath. There are two bedrooms and two baths upstairs.